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Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire
Wednesday, January 3, 2001
Hawaii sales rose 4.5% in December
The value of Hawaii retail sales by check rose 4.5 percent last month compared with December 1999, according to a survey released today by check-acceptance company TeleCheck Services Inc.Hawaii's year-over-year improvement was substantially greater than the national average increase of 2.7 percent in the dollar value of check purchases, according to TeleCheck, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based First Data Corp. Next-highest was Minnesota, with a 3.4 percent increase in December purchases paid for by check, followed by the District of Columbia and Tennessee at 3.2 percent above the previous December. Sales nationally were held back by slower growth in the U.S. economy, TeleCheck said. TeleCheck's surveys measure sales by check in stores open more than a year.
Waikiki meeting looks at China tech
A three-day conference for information technology executives who want to do business in China kicks off Jan. 11 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.China Tech 2001 will focus on marketing, technical and government policy issues, and will include speeches on e-commerce, wireless Internet access and general business topics. Registration for regular attendees is $995.
The event's sponsor, the nonprofit China SciTech Foundation, said it is seeking to build information technology opportunities in the Pacific Basin. The meeting was scheduled to coincide with the Pacific Telecommunications Council's 2001 conference in Honolulu. For more information, call 925-988-0804 or go online to www.chinatech.org.
Apple slashing Macintosh prices
CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Apple Computer Inc. has slashed prices by as much as $1,100 on some Macintosh computers to clear an inventory glut caused by sluggish holiday sales and to make room for new systems expected to be announced next week. The price cuts that took effect New Year's Day apply to the company's higher-end machines. Last month, the company offered hefty rebates to spur sales during the holiday season.